Inverclyde Councillors have re-affirmed their support for women affected by changes to state pensions.

The WASPI group, Women Against State Pension Inequality, campaigns for fair compensation for women unfairly affected by changes to state pensions.

Inverclyde Council Leader Councillor Stephen McCabe said: “The Council has shown its support for the WASPI campaign and we have no hesitation in reaffirming it.  The campaign seeks to right a very clear wrong and it is important that we show our clear support for their campaign to shine a light on this injustice and helps to shine a light on the need for financial compensation.”

Depute Council Leader, Councillor Jim Clocherty, who seconded the motion to the council, said: “The treatment of women has been shown by the Ombudsman as a clear maladministration and this historic injustice needs to be addressed.”

The full-motion agreed by the council at its meeting on 23 September 2021 read:

Council welcomes the findings of stage one of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s investigation into the way the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) communicated changes to women’s State Pension age and related issues.

The Ombudsman found that in 2005 DWP failed to make a reasonable decision about targeting information to the women affected by these changes and that constituted maladministration. The Ombudsman also found that in 2006 DWP proposed writing to women individually to tell them about changes to State Pension age but it failed to act promptly and that was also maladministration.

Council notes that stage two of the Ombudsman’s investigations will consider whether the failings identified led to an injustice for the complainants and, if so, stage three will consider potential remedies for this injustice, including financial compensation.

Council reaffirms our support for the WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaign and commends the WASPI Inverclyde Supporter Group and similar groups across the UK for continuing to campaign for justice for women adversely affected by changes to state pension legislation.